Planning Department

Master Planning

West Main/Coddington Development Master Plan

The Town of Middletown hired Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) to work with Town staff, a steering committee, stakeholders and the community to prepare a master plan for the West Main/Coddington Development Center. The Development Center consists of four publicly owned parcels that are targeted for potential redevelopment. They include the former Navy Lodge, the Town’s Recreation Complex, Middletown Public Library, and the former JFK Elementary School—all located on the west side of West Main Road (Route 114). The Development Center or “Core Study Area” is surrounded by a larger study area that includes approximately 245-acres of developed land.

BRAC Navy Surplus Land Reuse Planning

As part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, the Navy refocused their interests on Aquidneck Island and in February of 2010, the Navy declared 225 acres of NAVSTA as surplus property.The Town continues to work with the Navy toward the transfer and redevelopment of surplus federal land in Middletown. This Master Plan document updates previous plans prepared for the reuse of Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA) land, in particular, the 25 acres within the Town of Middletown; and fulfills the requirement for a plan that is the result of a public planning process. There was a presentation on the master planning process on March 6, 2013.

Atlantic Beach District Master Plan

In 2005, the Middletown Planning Board began a process of soliciting input and support from the community for improvements to the Atlantic Beach District. The Town is seeking to enhance the area both as a tourist destination and for local residents. The Town was awarded a Planning Challenge Grant by the Statewide Planning Program in 2006 that provided partial funding from the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration for the development of this master plan. The Atlantic Beach District Master Plan will serve as the primary document guiding the transformation of this area into a vibrant, walkable commercial area, capitalizing on its relatively dense development pattern and proximity to local beaches, historic Newport and other attractions. The Town expects to use this Master Plan, in part, to seek capital grants to implement recommended improvements within the public rights-of-way, and to guide private investment and development.

Recreation Master Plan

This Recreation, Conservation, and Open Space (RCOS) Plan was created by reviewing the initial work done by the Town in 2008, including the survey prepared by the Town, along with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis conducted as part of that planning process. Additionally, input was provided during the April 22, 2010 public forum and the stakeholder interviews carried out in February and March 2010. Site visits were also undertaken in March and April 2010 as part of the needs assessment in order to visually identify both the positive and negative attributes of Middletown’s open space and recreation resources. This effort focused on the most visited recreational properties, particularly ones where the Town plays some role in maintenance and management of the facility. This analysis summarizes the major recreation and open space issues and concerns facing the Town in 2010 and beyond. The focus of this plan is on publicly owned or managed facilities rather than private ones that may have limited or no public access.

Corporate Buildout Analysis

The Town of Middletown historically has served as Aquidneck Island’s corporate office center. In an effort to support this distinction, to attract and retain office and light industrial development, and to assure a diversified tax base, the Town has contracted with Pare Engineering Corp. and Ninigret Partners to prepare a corporate buildout analysis. This analysis addresses the Aquidneck Corporate Park, Newport Corporate Park, Enterprise Center, the proposed Omni Land Development Corporation’s light-industrial subdivision, and three individual office/business parcels. The Newport County Chamber of Commerce, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, and the Town of Middletown provided funding for this project, which was conducted for the Middletown Planning Department and the Middletown Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Hazard Mitigation Plan

This municipal strategy is consistent with state’s objectives for natural hazard mitigation included in the state’s hazard mitigation plan (§409 Plan) and will be incorporated into that plan. The Town of Middletown Hazard Mitigation Plan was prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The 2014 Plan is an update of the Town of Middletown’s 2006 Hazard Mitigation Plan. Adoption and implementation of this plan will enable Middletown to access credits under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS), which offers discounts on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premiums for property owners. Additionally, the approved plan will increase the town’s competitiveness when applying for FEMA’s hazard mitigation assistance (HMA) grant programs. The HMA grant programs provide funding opportunities for pre- and post-disaster mitigation with the common goal of reducing the risk of loss of life and property due to natural hazards.

Middletown’s goal in implementing this Hazard Mitigation Plan is to “preserve and enhance the quality of life, property, and resources by identifying areas at risk from natural hazards and implementing priority hazard mitigation strategies”. The objectives to achieve this goal are as follows:

PROTECT THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF MIDDLETOWN’S RESIDENTS, VISITORS, AND BUSINESSES